a great institution

Above photo: View of Padfield from Cemetery Road (Chris Szigeti)

Padfield Women's Institute

From its inaugural meeting on 26 November, 1968, the Padfield WI has continued its committment to improve the village and village life for every resident. Being part of a small community is what's made the Padfield WI special, just like so many other WIs across the length and breadth of the country.

​Over the years the Padfield WI has held a variety of activities and events including: garden parties, litter picks, organised outings, dramatical performances, concerts, quizzes, BBQs and Christmas parties to name a few. It has also held regular sales of work: garage sales, stalls selling home-made crafts and, of course, the ever-popular past time of tea and cake.

​In 1969 the Padfield WI held a fancy dress garden party at Rosebank and every year until 1982 a senior citizen Christmas party was held. Celebration of some form or another has been a part of the Padfield WI for many years as have the dramatic arts (and the associated comedy that goes with it) in performances such as: In the Frame, Gang Show, Roly-Poly's and, Albert and the Lion. In 1977 members of the Padfield WI dressed as jars of preserves for the Silver Jubilee celebratory parade.

The Padfield WI's meeting place has always been the Community Primary School, where regular monthly meetings have taken place, and still continue to do so every 2nd Tuesday of the month (with the exception of August) at 7:30pm. There are refreshments throughout the meetings and visitors are always welcome.

The article below, titled 'Women's Institute - A brief history,' reveals some of their achievements over the last century.

Padfield WI events & activities 2016

12 Jan - Aromatherapy (Jan Hughes)

9 Feb - Quiz night

8 Mar - A talk about anything (Sean Wood)

12 April - Book folding (Avril Hunt)

10 May - Resolution meeting & Pictionary game

14th June - Belly Dancing (Elaine Kelly)

12 July - Breast care talk (Tracey Derbyshire)

August - No meeting

13 Sep - Craft evening

11 Oct - Talk entitled "Walking the line"

8 Nov - Christmas flower decoration

13 Dec - Christmas party

Activities & charities supported by Padfield WI

​Here is a list of activities and charities the Padfield WI have supported in the last year. The Padfield WI:

Made up 100 bags to celebrate 100 years of the Women's Institute. These were distributed to Reuben's Retreat, The Carpenters Arms Homeless Shelter, The Chenobyl Children and Glossop Community Companions. The bags contained things that would be useful for the individuals at the organisations.

Had a tombola stall at Padfield Chapel Christmas Fair and at Hadfield Carnival Market on Sunday 12 June, 2016.

Chooses a local charity every year and gives a donation.

The Women's Institute - A brief history

The Women's Institute has grown from it's humble beginnings to become the UK's largest voluntary women's organisation. Its origins are founded in Ontario, Canada in 1897, however, in the UK it was formed in 1915 at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, or Langfair PG, on Anglesea, North Wales. The remit was to revitalise rural communities and strive to encourage, support and educate women in their approach to food production during the First World War. In the eyes of a war-torn nation, food shortages were a terrible and frightening reality. In times of crisis people have the profound potential to unite together and become a driving force that endures difficult times. The WI was such a driving force that encouraged women country-wide to unite together and help provide some respite in the supply of food during the difficulties of a nation at war.

But it was more than that. Even though educational opportunities were a forefront for the betterment of women across the country, the discipline of providing a voice for women too, especially in an ever-changing society was paramount. The WI campaigned tirelessly to improve the lives of women and has continued to do so ever since. After the First World War women from various walks of life were becoming involved, breaking down the social barriers between the classes: shopkeepers, cooks, maids and even those of a more privileged upbringing all saw the attraction of this organisation, especially when the Representation of the People Act of 1918 was passed giving women the vote. A huge turning point on the road to equality, however, this was somewhat stifled as only women over the age of 30 and who met a property qualification were allowed to vote; representing about 8.5 million women in the UK at the time. By 1928 the Equal Franchise Act saw the voting rights of women align with those of men, reducing the voting age of women from 30 down to 21. This was now representing approximate 15 million women nationwide. Women were now equal voters and were very much encouraged by the organisation to become active citizens.

During the pre-war years the WI was a firmly-established organisation, taking part in a variety of pageants, plays and music festivals. During the 1930's the WI continued to support the League of Nations, which became the global organisation behind the drive for international peace. Born from the aftermath of the First World War, their task was to include provisions for the setting up of a peace-keeping body that would, in essence, police international affairs and ultimately bring stability to the world. In 1934, Nancy Tennant was the delegate sent to the International Peace Treaty in Geneva, representing the WI on the world stage, and striving towards peace on a global scale. However, fears of another global conflict inching ever closer by the end of the decade meant that the WI had to decide what stance it would take should the curtain fall on the brief era of peace: the inter-war years. ​

Ambulance presented to the army by the NFWI, 1941 - Image courtesy of the NFWI Archives

The onset of the Second World War brought about a repeat of the WI's achievements during the previous war. Growing and, ultimately, preserving food was very much on the agenda. A new decade brought about new challenges and between 1940 and 1945 the WI provided food for the nation by preserving a total of 5,300 tons of fruit, which most likely would have been wasted had the WI not stepped up to the mantle. No one can dismiss the huge contribution that the WI made to the war effort on the home front. The waging wars overseas had a terrible impact at home; times were challenging and fears of destructive air raids on the nation's towns and cities was cause enough to effect the evacuation of children to the countryside, many housed by WI members. After the war the WI, amongst other things of note, raised money for ambulances, played a vital role in the equality of pay for women and opened the Denman College, in 1948. The hardships of the Second World War were firmly behind them but they would never be forgotten. The WI had endured just as the nation had endured and out of hardships came a revitalisation that showed how strong and independent the WI had become.

The 1950's saw the WI's involvement in various campaigns. The decade began with a national music festival, the following year the Ideal Home Exhibition took place and the year after that the Victoria and Albert Museum would stage the WI's Craft Exhibition. The WI was the powerhouse behind bringing together 26 organisations with similar interests later to be known as the Keep Britain Tidy Group. It was formed in 1955 after they started a national anti-litter campaign to tackle the throwaway culture during the post-war boom. By 1958 The Litter Act put in place a law enabling fines of £10 for anyone caught dropping litter, a substantial change in a few short years, to encourage pride in a cleaner nation. By 1960 Keep Britain Tidy had become a registered charity and Lady Elisabeth Brunner, having been the WI's chairperson since 1951, was awarded an OBE for 'devotion to the group and her continual concern for its success since inception,' and was the president of the group for 19 years between 1966 and 1985.

During the previous thirty years the number of Women's Institutes had increased from 2,237 in 1921 to 8,178 in 1954, with the number of members peaking at 467,000. By the end of the decade, the WI contributed to World Refugee Year (1959-1960), which was about resolving the huge refugee problem brought about by the Second World War. It was an ambitious project by the UN and governments of over 70 countries worldwide with the purpose of finding a solution to locally integrate and resettle all of the refugees in all the camps around the world. This monumental task was achieved by 1960.

The Freedom from Hunger Campaign was supported by the WI and between 1962 and 1966 £182,000 was raised for such a cause. The National Art Exhibition took place in 1963 at the Galleries of British Artists and 1965 was the Golden Jubilee Year when numerous celebrations were held marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. On a slighter darker note, the WI's AGM in 1966 began to raise concerns about habit-forming drugs and their availability to children and young adults. This, like so many other campaigns the WI had been involved in, and continued to be involved in, is testament to their pro-active nature to tackle problems that may have otherwise been left unchallenged by the Government. The WI had a voice and had been using that voice to great effect for many years for the betterment of everyone.

Change and, ultimately, progression is inevitable. Progression might not always take a step in the right direction, however, the WI seemed to be labouring hard during the 1970s and 1980s to combat this by continuing their fastidious campaigning work towards calling for resolutions to bring about notable changes to the standards and quality of life. These were seen in free family planning services and nursery education for children, both in 1972; a national policy on reclamation and recycling of waste, in 1974; making available more rented accommodation to tackle homelessness, in 1977; voicing concerns about marine pollution, in 1978; the concerns of village school closures, in 1979; education on the dangers of solvent abuse, in 1982; vigilance against child abuse, in 1984; urging for better control of the credit industry, in 1987 and, stronger sentences for men of sexual offences against women, in 1989. These profound steps provide an insight of how important the WI had become. They were a positive energy behind initiating change, of simply getting things done.

The WI held further exhibitions during these two decades: This Green and Pleasant Land? in 1972; Tomorrow's Heirlooms, in 1975; and Life and Leisure, which was opened by HM the Queen, also a member of the WI, in 1984. The following year the WI was celebrating its 70th Anniversary, Agnes Salter became the National Chairperson and an appeal to raise £1 million for essential works on Denman College to bring it up to code was launched. By the mid 1980s the total number of WIs across the country has risen to 9,242.

The National Federation of Women's Institute moved its headquarters in 1990 after it became a charitable company; it now resided in Fulham. Throughout the decade new buildings were erected on the grounds of Denman College, various festivals, exhibitions and conferences took place and in 1993, the WI became a founding member of the Fair Trade Foundation along with other notable charities such as Christian Aid, Oxfam and Global Justice Now, formerly known as the World Development Movement. In 1997 the WI held centenary celebrations, for it had been 100 years since the first WI opened in Canada by its founding member, Adelaide Hoodless. ​

Fruit bottling demo to the WI - Image courtesy of the NFWI Archives

There was, by now, a steady decline in the number of WI's across the country, a trend that continued beyond the Millennium. In more recent years though there has been a slight increase in members as a result of the last recession where, according to an article in the Mail dated 12 May, 2012, women were keen to learn the traditional skills of dressmaking and home cooking to help fight the crunch. Whilst in 1985 the number of WI's had peaked at 9,242, the total number of members was almost 100,000 fewer than in 1954. The continued growth of the WI and the number of members it had gained over the previous decades was testament to the facilitation of women's suffrage and the admirable work it had achieved with its constitution at its core; the values and aims for which it stands. However, the number of WI's and overall members were dropping year on year.

Due to changing social climates, was the WI now being seen as an outdated institution where only the older generation made use of its traditions? Had it gained a frumpy stereotype connected only to the war years and jam making? That image is, and has clearly been, out of date for a long time. The WI is progressive. Social and technological climates (and the needs that drive them) continue to change over time. Certain trends come, then go and sometimes every few years there is a resurgence. The WI adapts to the changing times and has always been keen to spark the interests of women across the country in all age groups. But image still remains important.

The dawn of a new millennium saw further global campaigning via What Women Want, the world summit on sustainable development. The WI was also instrumental in urging the Government in supporting family farms, especially during a time when the UK was ravaged by the Foot and Mouth crisis. In 2005, marking the WI's 90th Anniversary, they entered the 'Back to our Roots – Growing for the Future' garden at Tatton Park's Royal Horticultural Society's Flower Show, of which the member-designed garden won a gold medal. In the same year the WI also published its 90@90 report, the impact of the past 90 years of consumer behaviour. This document identified and evaluated how consumer habits had changed in communities across the UK over the previous 90 years and, ultimately, how those changes affected our social and physical environment, all, through WI members' own experiences with a focus on sustainability for the future.

In 2015 the WI celebrated its centenary, having been 100 years since the first WI opened in the UK. Today, there are over 215,000 members in 6,500 WI's, of which Padfield's WI is one of them.

The number of WI campaigns, events and achievements since its formation are far too numerous for us to efficaciously do it justice in this brief overview. However, in summary, with the literature available online it is clear that from its humble beginnings to present day the WI have strived to make our rural communities better, and our nation stronger. Over the years their unrivalled reputation garnered a strong and steady footing in which to raise concerns about previously controversial subjects, and not being afraid to do so. The WI have urged the Government to act on policies and update legislations that otherwise might have remained shelved for many years to comes; they have tackled local problems, delegated on global issues and have remained pro-active in all their endeavours, large and small; they have survived two World Wars, have fought for justice and equality, and they have done all these things whilst using education, friendship and community as vehicle to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

If you are interested to learn more about the WI, we recommend taking a look at their website. It covers all aspects of becoming a member, what it is they do and provides detailed information about their key campaigns and initiatives. ​Our thanks go to the WI for allowing use of their archive photographs.

References / Sources

​Birchall, Janis. A Portrait of Padfield: Celebrating a Century of Community Life in Padfield Village. Padfield Residents' Society, 2013.